Here’s an idea I read about a few years ago that applies to headlines and subject lines.
Legendary copywriter Bob Bly wrote about this ‘formula’ that his colleague Michael Masterson had developed to help understand what makes an effective headline or subject line (ie, copy that gets people reading more).
It can also be applied to advertising and marketing more widely.
The 4 ‘U’s stand for:
- Urgent (gives a reason to act now rather than later or not at all)
- Unique (offers something new or an old message in a new way)
- Ultra-specific (appealing to a specific group of people or promising to solve a specific problem)
- Useful (offering a benefit)
